Bleeding Love
by willgirl
Summary: Inspired by the song Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. Brennan feels the need to tell Booth how she really feels.


**A/N: My guilty pleasure this summer was So You Think You Can Dance. There was a dance that I loved that used the song Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. When I listened to it, it seemed Booth and Brennan appropriate. I hope you enjoy! (And I would recommend listening to the song!)**

It was inevitable. Booth would move on and she would too, both denying the attraction between them. After six years as partners and nothing else, even Angela had given up hope that they would be together.

For a long time, they were stuck in limbo, spending all their time together and never dating anyone else. Then he met Cheryl and soon after she met Jeffrey and soon, it all went away.

They still worked together of course. But gone was the pie at the diner and the moments after the case when they would get together to unwind. They had separate lives now.

She found it hard to adjust. She surmised that's why she threw herself into a relationship with Jeffery. He was just so happy and she was...Well, she wasn't sure what she was. Ironic that as a writer she couldn't come up with the words she needed to describe the way her stomach dropped when she first saw him with Cheryl.

She smiled gamely and told him she was glad he was happy before rushing to the bathroom and vomiting up the contents of her lunch.

The next day she met Jeffrey at a coffee shop and accepted his offer of a date and never looked back.

That was nine months ago and while he was pressuring her to move in with him, she always refused. Of course, the voice in the back of her head that suspiciously sounded like Angela told her it was because she was in love with her partner.

She didn't believe in love, thought it was silly and unnecessary but she couldn't deny the surge of feelings every time she saw them together.

Was that was love was?

She wasn't sure she wanted it. But she wanted him. She had come to that revelation yesterday morning as Jeffrey handed her a cup of coffee. They had become exactly what she thought they would never be. People who had 'just coffee'.

But what to do about it left her stumped, hence the pacing in her office.

"Bren, I..."

Angela stopped short at the sight of her friend, wild eyed and pacing.

"What's going on? Is it Jeffrey?"

She snorted. It was never him. He was completely fine; attractive, great in bed, sweet. He was everything a girl could want, everything she should want.

But he wasn't Booth.

She stopped and raised her head.

"I have feelings for Booth."

The joy that she supposed would be on her friend's face wasn't there. Instead, Angela was frowning.

"You what?" Angela asked, shaking her head. "No, Bren..."

"It's not like I meant to..."

"You can't do this to him." Angela said insistently.

"What? I thought you wanted Booth and I together." She said defensively.

"A year ago, maybe." Angela replied. "But he's happy right now, Bren. Cheryl makes him happy and now you have to mess this up."

"Mess..."

"You are my friend." Angela interrupted. "But you need to remember, that Booth's my friend too. And I don't want you hurting him. He waited for you for long enough..."

"He's the one who had that stupid line." She pointed out, her cheeks flushed with anger.

"And you're the one who refused to acknowledge that he would cross that line in a heartbeat for you."

She slumped on the couch and put her head in her hands.

"God..."

"What about Jeffrey?" Angela asked.

She just shook her head, feeling the tears trail their way down her cheeks.

"Oh, Bren..." she felt Angela sink down on the couch beside her.

She stood up and swivelled to face Angela, brushing the tears away from her cheeks.

"You are right. I shouldn't mess this up for him. He's happy and I'm supposed to be happy and we both have a chance for a normal relationship. But Angela...I have to tell him. He can stay with her, I don't care...I have to."

She saw the disappointed look on Angela's face and turned away, grabbing her purse from her desk.

"Look, Bren, just think about what you are doing..."

"Booth once told me the difference between brain and heart and how sometimes you have to turn off the brain and use the heart. I think this is one of those times."

She strode out of the office, not waiting for Angela's reply.

Pulling her cell phone out of her purse, she dialled his number.

"Booth?" she said, as soon as he picked up. "Do you have time to meet?"

Her heart pounded as she awaited his reply, already moving towards the parking lot in anticipation of his saying yes.

She attempted to focus as she heard him say that he was in the FBI gym, working out. She told him to stay there and got into her car, pulling out of the parking lot and speeding towards the Hoover building.

Now that she was doing this, she wasn't sure what to say. How do you tell your partner of six years that you have feelings for them?

She knew Angela was right, she shouldn't be doing this, she should just go home to Jeffrey.

Shaking her head, she focused on the roads in front of her. Even if this ended badly, even if their friendship ended in disrepair, it was a chance she was willing to take.

She parked and made her way through clearance and soon as heading towards the gym. She yanked open the door and scanned the gym for him, finding him in the corner by the weights. Ignoring the looks from the others occupying the gym, she made her way over to him.

"Bones, what's going on?" His voice had a tinge of panic. "You sounded upset and have you been crying?"

She nodded dumbly and gestured for him to sit. He sat on the bench, a confused look on his face.

"Angela told me not to come." That was not how she was planning on starting.

"She says you're happy and I should leave you alone."

"Bones..."

"No, wait." She said, holding up her hand. "I need to tell you something and it's going to impact our partnership. You don't have to...I mean, nothing needs to change...I just need to tell you."

"Temperance, what is going on?"

She registered the concerned look on his face and took a deep breath.

"I have feelings for you."

His face turned to shock and his jaw dropped slightly.

"You have feelings...for me?" he croaked out.

She nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"I'm sorry." She said, a half-sob escaping her throat. "I know you are with Cheryl and this doesn't change anything. I just needed to tell you. And now I should go."

She turned to flee but felt his hand grip her arm.

"Temperance." He said huskily, as she turned back towards him.

"Please Booth, just go be with Cheryl. I shouldn't have told you and..."

He pressed his finger against her lips, silencing her before wiping the tears from her cheek. Her body shivered from his touch.

"I broke up with Cheryl this morning."

Her eyes widened.

"W...why?" she stuttered.

He pulled her against his chest and she could feel his heart pounding. They stood like that for a long time, holding each other, ignorant of the looks they were receiving. She felt his lips press the top of her head.

"She wasn't you."

* * *

**A/N: I know Angela is usually ecstatic over a potential B&B relationship, but I could totally see her discouraging Brennan in a situation like this.**


End file.
